Mangmor
Mangmor is a city along the Long River in southern Marn. It serves as the country's crossroads towards the east of Farthrone and south into the Amaran Sea. It is referred to as Splendour by locals, or the City at Water's Deep in many official texts. History Pre-History Mangmor was founded after the city of Marstep in times known only by the immortals of Tolas and the secret scrolls of the Scholars of Wen. The city was built around the colossal bridge that stretched across the Long River, with the southern side being the original centre of an ancient elven city, the area is now abandoned, with the city's keep and wards on the northern side of the bank. The city is named after the river spirit Mang who was is believed to have flooded the southern half of the city but now serves as a guardian spirit similar to Mar and is worshiped by those that live along the riverbank. Shardfall For more information on this event, see here. During the approach of the Shard, Mangmor was ruled by a collective of powerful lords in a council set up by the last king of Marn, with the Lord of the Day Star, the rebel that assaulted Marstep itself during the actual collision of the Shard, chief among those. Following the failure of the Lord of the Day Star's rebellion the Back Council of Marstep disbanded the administration of Mangmor, taking over much of the duties themselves, creating the position of Lord-Mayor to serve on the council as Mangmor's representative. Rise of the Protectorate The Drenden Protectorate emerged as power in the Amaran Sea in the first half of the third century by Marstep's Reckoning, their influence spreading to the coast where the Long River empties into the ocean. Mangmor is the city with the most connections to the Protectorate, with some in Marstep seeing it as the end point of their influences on the region, while others see it as point by which they shall conquer the whole country. Divine Era For more information on this event, see here. Mangmor has so far not been visited by any of the exarchs, it was made clear by Iaseth that she intended to travel to the city after she converted Marstep and presumably Serenra had similar plans but after their fight with Mar they have not been seen in the region. Sahuagin Humbled In 13DE, the city of Mangmor was attacked by an army of creatures from the sea, with many Sahuagin raiding the city. The city's many defenders rushed to stop the onslaught, with the Eagle Society, a group recently established in the city, using an artefact to awaken some of the statues in the city, having them move to break the army's morale as the huge statues mobilised. Once the armies were defeated, each of the statues reacted differently to the command to return to their original location, with some obeying, other going to different places, whilst one began to attack the city itself, with the statue having to be partially sunken into the street to stop its rampage. The statue that did most to stop the attack was recarved into a Sahuagin bowing in defeat, as it was so heavily damaged by its defence that it was unrecognisable, known now as the Sahuagin Humbled. The God Catcher, the statue that turned upon the city once it was ordered to return to its home remains partially sunken into the street, its great arm stretching up to the sky where an orb of stone sits balanced atop its hand. Structure Lord-Mayor of Mangmor The Lord-Mayor of Mangmor is the highest ranking official in the city, splitting their time between the Back Council in Marstep and running the affairs of the city. The Lord-Mayor is chosen by election from the members of the Court of the Span, with a small percentage of the population eligible to vote. Court of the Span The Court of the Span are the guilds that filled the power vacuum left by the previous council that once ruled the city. The Court consist of 117 members, many of whom paid to have the number of seats expanded over the decades to allow for themselves to take office. The Court can block or veto most mandates put forward by the Lord-Mayor, though in an emergency they can be bypassed. The Upper Hells Officially called the Justice Court, the Upper Hells is the name given to the legal court system of Mangmor, with thirteen judges that arbitrate on matters the guards are unable to deal with themselves, assigning verdicts of guilty or innocent. The name comes from the dungeons beneath the building that houses the courthouse, known as the Hells, the name began to apply to the entire system after a number of particularly harsh judges were elected. Factions Various factions have roots in Mangmor, with some openly operating and others working in the shadows, but all are powerful forces in the city. Defenders of the City "It's simple, the Guard guards the walls, while the Watch watches all." '' Mangmor boasts a garrison of over a thousand troops and hundreds of peacekeepers that protect the city and keep its people safe. City Guard The City Guard served as the city's soldiery and its members staffed garrisons, road patrols, and watchposts, and served as bodyguards and gate guards. Griffon Cavalry From the Peaktop above Mangmor, the elite of the City Guard ride griffons bred for war. Every rider is given a feather sigil ring that gives them the effects of the ''feather fall spell, allowing them to both survive falling off their mounts but also perform aerial acrobatics. City Watch The Watchare a typical armed force with a standard issue of a tall helmet, breastplate and leather armour along with a cudgel, dagger, and tin whistle. The Watchful A collective of arcane spellcasters that keep watch on those gifted with magical ability outside of their order. A social association that can be pressed into service during times of great need, they can also become part of the City Watch should a spellcaster commit a crime that needs expertise to solve. Sea Maidens Faire Three carnival ships, the Eyecatcher, ''the ''Heartbreaker, ''the ''Hellraiser, form the Sea Maidens Faire. The musicians, acrobats, actors and other performers that lead parades throughout the city, with Zardoz Zord, the flamboyant captain riding atop fantastic beasts or on rolling castles that march through the streets to great fanfare. Enclave For more on this, see here. One of the smallest factions in Mangmor, this order primarily fights unnatural threats such as aberrations and undead, watching over the City of the Dead. Unbidden For more on this, see here. Keeping power out of the wrong hands is the goal of the Unbidden, working behind the scenes to ensure the right people are in the right place to prevent tyrants and evil people from seizing control. Small Ring For more on this, see here. Anyone can join the Small Ring, tenacity and loyalty are highly valued, but not essential. While they have operated both legitimate and illegitimate businesses in the city, they have become fractured and factionalised as native recruits and foreigners from the Small Ring across the world have come into conflict over territory. Exemplars For more on this, see here. The Exemplars of Marstep have long presence in Mangmor, with their order having a great chapter house in the Castle Ward. They seek to rout out evil before it can take root, following the return of the gods they have been aggressively recruiting within the city. Eagle Society For more on this, see here. The Eagle Society is comprised of people that have sworn oaths to protect the people of Mangmor, as well as the country of Marn itself. In the city they are led by Nera Halfern, who came to prominence in the city during the Silence of the Gods when she used the power of an ancient artefact she had uncovered to animate a number of great statues to defend the city against the armies of the sea that besieged the city as the gods ceased granting power to mortals. While the society still claims to be able to control these colossi, one of the constructs went on a rampage in the city and had to be sunken into the city streets to stop it destroying the Sea Ward. The Eyes Rumours abound about the Eyes, criminals that work in the shadows but have power beyond a mere thieves guild, with its unscrupulous members willing to go to any lengths to achieve their goals. Many suspect there is some dark intelligence behind their actions, having toppled larger organisations as part of some grand plan to seize power in the city. Society Mangmor is an old city, built atop the ruins of an elven city, with entrances to the Boneways beneath the city, and many different creatures and peoples dwelling there whose ancestors traveled from kingdoms and lands now lost to time. The Code Legal Mangmor has established a system of legal justice, with the City Watch diligently keeping the peace, and magisters dispensing summary judgements on wrongdoers. The exact punishment for crimes is laid out in the Code Legal, a text that provides an outlines of various offenses, though the magisters have broad powers when it comes to meeting out justice. Combat Dueling has been banned in Mangmor, as has any act involving assault. Individuals caught brawling by the Watch will be arrested, though some leniency may be given at tavern brawls if too much drink was involved. Weapons can be carried openly, though few of the citizens of Mangmor do so, and would view heavily armed individuals with suspicion. Wards Mangmor is divided into wards, with each having its own distinct history and culture, with many natives having great pride in the ward they live in. Sea Ward The western ward of the city where the rich an powerful run their businesses. This area was originally settled by warlords and pirates generations ago, with the ruins and remnants of old fortresses and castles incorporated into the gardens of noble families. The Sea Ward features the House of Wonder, a temple dedicated to the god of magic, as well as the House of Heroes where the Exemplars hold many record for games set by the warrior priesthood of the war god. Also within this ward the House of the Moon, a temple dedicated to the fallen moon goddess. The House of Inspired Hands is dedicated to the god of craft, the innovative and creative minds of the city work to create wondrous inventions to honour their patron deity. The Temple of Beauty, dedicated to the goddess of love, serves as the public baths and salons for the ward. The ward also features green spaces, one of which, the Shrines to Nature, are only open to residents of the ward, but the Heroes' Garden which features many of the long dead heroes of Mangmor is open to anyone. The Blue Alley is less a temple, but rather a hidden fane to the older ways of magic, where a house sits with no windows or doors, with tiles of blue that flicker with the lights of wisps and foxfire. Blue and gold are the colours of the Sea Ward, its mascot is a sea lion, a fanciful fusion of a fish and a feline. North Ward Home to civic servants, families of wealthy merchants, and peaceful taverns and shops, the North Ward is known for its quiet streets and the beautiful views of the countryside. The people that live here seldom work in this ward, with a mass exodus of people setting off for work in other wards in the morning, as legions of launderers, cooks, chimney sweeps, housecleaners, valets, childminders, gardeners, and tutors arrive to replace them from other wards. Green and orange are the colours of North Ward, with its mascot animal being a white dove, chosen for it great flocks that whirl above the ward in great numbers at sunset. Castle Ward The wealthiest district in Mangmor, housing the most important administrative buildings in the city. It is referred to as the Summit by many in Mangmor, often in jest, comparing the ward to a high mountain in a tale of a dwarf king that only cared for gold, and not the plights of his people. Trades Ward The Trades Ward has been compared to a market town, but on a larger scale. Bustling night and day with activity, the Trades Ward is home to all sorts of shops, food stores, and lavish accommodation. With trade of all kinds happening here, it is the place to find any item you could ever need, both legal and illegal, the the City Watch has a heavy presence in this ward, both in open patrols and out of uniform. Most guilds have their headquarters here, able to do business with each other as well as the other industries in the city. Green and purple are the colours of house, with their mascot being a mimic in the form of a treasure chest, thought the particular creature chosen for the role enjoys changing shape on whim. Southern Ward The Southern Ward, is named both for its location at the southernmost part of the city, but also for the many southerners that settled the district as the city grew, with many people in this ward having ancestry from far distant realms. With its diverse population, one can find strange foods from beyond the Amaran Sea, or hear music from a long forgotten kingdom. Red and white are this wards colours, with the mule its mascot. A hardworking creature that can travel far reliably, and a beast that many of those travelers whose descendants now live in the Southern Ward used to reach the city in ages past. Dock Ward The Dock Ward features many ports and berths for visitors to the city, the majority of whom come by boat. It features one side of a shattered bridge that that stretches across the river in the south, built on a totally different scale to the rest of the city, with many believing it was constructed by a nation of giants. It was considered the most dangerous part of the city, with the Field Ward now taking that reputation. Warehouses, poorhouses, penny-sit-ups, and tenements dominate this ward, with few shops except for those on the waterfront itself. Few signs can be found in this area, as they are usually stolen, and few lamps are lit as vandals smash them. Burgundy and orange are this ward's colours, with the mascot being a green swordfish. The residents of the Dock Ward take any competition very seriously, and will choose their champions from among the strongest sailors (and pirates) that come into their harbour, having them register with a magister and pay their taxes for their time in the city, despite seldom being natives. City of the Dead Despite its name, the City of the Dead is not a gloomy place, it is filled with lush green fields and beautiful architecture. For reasons not quite known, the people of Mangmor do not bury their dead in ground sanctified by clerics, instead they entomb them in mausoleums, with the major ones being capable of housing many bodies through clever magicks that expand the interior size far beyond that of its outside dimensions. Sculptures line the gravel path of this ward, and great fountains depicting battles from Mangmor's past make perfect spots to enjoy a midday picnic. Since the ward has almost no permanent residence besides groundskeepers, it does not take part in the cities competitions, though its colours are black and white, with an unofficial mascot being a laughing skull, the spirit being a local maker of mischief, startling couples out on romantic strolls or scaring children exploring their anscestor's tombs. Field Ward While not an official ward, Field Ward is often treated as such. A muddy, lawless settlement, Field Ward has sprung up as refugees from the many calamities that have afflicted the lands of Farthrone have driven people from their homes to the relative safety of Mangmor. The poorest people in the city dwell here, and the only guilds that operate in the area are those that have been pushed out of the city due to the smell or noise generated by their work, slaughterhouse, leatherworkers, smokehouses, certain dye works, can be found here. As it is not an official ward, it has no colours, nor does it have a mascot. Unofficially, brown and even darker brown are said to be its colours. Undercliff East of the city where the lands are fertile before rolling into the Scorned Lands where grass rules, the region of Undercliff is serves as the city's closest source of food, with highly focused farming and animal husbandry throughout it. It is also home to Amendsfarm, a large prison farm run by the City Guard, where anyone convicted of minor offenses work off their debt to the city. Undermountain Beneath Mangmor lies the ruins of a dwarven kingdom, its tunnels and warrens stretch all the way into the Boneways, and some say beyond. Here wonders from many ages hidden by many great and powerful figures from history can be seen, though with those wonders are true horrors, monsters that dwell in the darkness that glimpse the light of the city above and see an opportunity to sate their bloodlust. Economy Trade with the Protectorate Mangmor trades extensively with the Drenden Protectorate, being a major point of exchange between Farthrone and Etan. Additionally, with the return of the Tsi Gao, and the shift in the political situation up north, stable ports like Mangmor that are able to have large vessels dock in its harbour are highly valued by traders across the Amaran Sea. Routes throughout Farthrone The city is connected to the north of Farthrone via the ancient roads that lead from the Span, its main road, the High Road, leading through the Scorned Lands to Marstep then onto faded pathways through the Open Steppe to the Jarlara Mountains, its road leading north towards Novdahain. The roads heads south into Vilnaia where they can be lost in a tangle of routes said to have been mislead by fey creatures. Religion Temples to all the known gods can be found in Mangmor, either as powerful orders of paladins, secretive monastic traditions, or outlawed cults. The Spirit Mar Worship of Mar is quite popular in Mangmor, the spirit being seen as the protector of Marn as a whole and by his benevolence the country has remained free for its entire history. The Spirit Mang The being known as Mang is also worshiped in the city, though the spirit is still going through a transitional period, going from a nature spirit that used to punish those that settled on its banks to being worshipped by those people. Some believe that Mar convinced Mang to change his ways, though others say that the spirit began to change after some ancient force contacted him. Background The following backgrounds can be taken if you are from one of the noble family houses of Mangmor. Mangmor Nobility Skill Proficiencies: 'History, Persuasion. '''Tool Proficiencies: ' One type of gaming set or one musical instrument. '''Languages: '''One of your choice. '''Equipment: '''A set of fine clothes, a signet ring or brooch, a scroll of pedigree, a skin of fine wine, and a purse containing 20gp. '''Feature: Kept in Style While you are in Mangmor or a settlement near the city, your house sees to your everyday needs. Your name and signet are sufficient to cover most of your expenses; the inns, taverns, and feasthalls you frequent are glad to record your debt and send an accounting to your family's estate in Mangmor to settle what you owe. This represents you having 2gp a day in the form of credit you can spend on food, room, and board, but is not added to your personal gold.Category:Location Category:Settlement Category:Farthrone Category:Homerules Category:Marn